Chapter 678 Such an Apology (Part 1)

Li Xian, his hair now almost completely white, was asking to see Wu Sheng and Su Li for the second time.

Wa Wa Lian, who didn’t know the full story of Li Xian and Wu Sheng’s relationship, felt a pang of sympathy and couldn’t help but worry as he watched the old man standing there, waiting to see them.

Li Xian wasn’t young anymore. Though he held himself ramrod straight, he looked as if he might collapse at any moment.

This feeling left Wa Wa Lian deeply concerned and conflicted.

Finally, gritting his teeth, Wa Wa Lian went to Su Li’s hospital room again.

Captain Zhang was still there, questioning Su Li about the incident.

Su Li’s throat was still a little hoarse, but much better than before. She gave him a detailed account of the situation.

Su Li couldn’t bring herself to repeat the insults Mrs. Tang had hurled, but even a brief summary of her threats was enough to make anyone’s blood boil.

"...Simply... simply incorrigible!"

After finishing his questions, Captain Zhang drank two glasses of water but still couldn’t quell his anger. "She’s just like one of those wicked old hags you see on TV! So worried about her own son, yet so cruel to someone else’s daughter!"

Fuming, Captain Zhang took his leave.

Once Captain Zhang was gone, Wa Wa Lian gritted his teeth and went back inside. "Boss..."

The moment Wa Wa Lian spoke, his troubled expression made it obvious that Li Xian was still waiting.

The already dark look on Wu Sheng’s face grew even darker. Su Li exhaled and gently tugged on his hand.

"We can’t just avoid him forever. We’ll have to see him eventually. And we can’t just keep him waiting. Why don’t we just see him?"

Su Li asked in a soothing voice. Seeing that Wu Sheng was about to reply, she quickly raised a finger.

"Hear me out. Our wedding is tomorrow. If we were in the countryside, we’d be butchering the pig today, which is basically part of the celebration. Why should we let this issue weigh on our minds? Let’s just see him and hear what he has to say."

Su Li gently smoothed his chest. "No matter what, it’s best not to have any lingering hang-ups when we get married."

Wu Sheng paused, then stroked Su Li’s head. "I’m just afraid he’ll say something to upset you."

Su Li immediately shook her head. "I won’t be. He and I... we’re strangers. A stranger can make me angry, but they can’t make me feel wronged."

Hearing this, Wu Sheng looked at Wa Wa Lian and gave a slight, silent nod.

Wa Wa Lian’s spirits lifted, and he left with a sigh of relief.

When Li Xian appeared at the door again, Su Li was struck by a sense of déjà vu, remembering the first time she had met him.

It had also been in a hospital. She had been a patient then, too, and Li Xian had come to visit and apologize.

When Li Xian entered the room and began to apologize, the feeling of similarity intensified.

Li Xian’s hair was graying, and his back was much more stooped. He gave Su Li a deep bow of apology.

"Su Li, I’m sorry. I am so, so sorry."

Li Xian held the deep bow, his body trembling, and didn’t straighten up. "I’m apologizing to you on behalf of Ye Xilan. I didn’t watch over her properly. It’s my fault."

Su Li glanced at Wu Sheng, who stood ramrod straight beside her, the veins on his forehead bulging. She sighed.

"Please, stand up."

Li Xian straightened up, his eyes bloodshot. "I never thought she would do something like this. It’s all my fault. I didn’t realize her condition had become so severe. I never imagined she could be so extreme as to do such a thing and cause you so much suffering."

Su Li gave a faint, tight-lipped smile. "It’s not your fault."

The one who should be apologizing was Ye Xilan, but instead, it was always Li Xian who came. Su Li didn’t know what to say.

The last time Li Xian had come, Su Li hadn’t found it too strange and had even thought he seemed like a decent person. But for him to be the one to come again this time... even though his attitude was more sincere and he was clearly filled with guilt, for some reason, it just felt a little strange.

But Li Xian shook his head at Su Li’s words. "It is my fault. I didn’t watch her closely enough. I promised before that I would, but I failed. I let her do this. I’m too ashamed to even face you."

Li Xian took a deep breath, his gaze falling on Wu Sheng, his eyes filled with pain and guilt.

"It’s all my fault. I’m overcome with guilt... Su Li, I’m begging you, please try to forgive her. It’s just... it’s because she doesn’t have children that she’s so fragile inside. Her mind became filled with paranoia, and in the end, she acted so impulsively."

Li Xian’s hands were shaking violently. "I am the root cause of all of this. I’ll watch her closely from now on, I swear I won’t let her do this again..."

A pained expression appeared on Li Xian’s face. "I know what I’m about to say will make me sound shameless, but I still have to say it."

"Can you... can you please not press legal charges against her? I’m afraid that if she’s actually punished, her mind and body will completely collapse."

The warmth in Su Li’s eyes slowly turned to ice. Wu Sheng’s hands began to tremble uncontrollably, but Li Xian didn’t notice. He kept his head down, determined to get all his words out in one breath.

If he didn’t say it all at once, he was afraid he’d never be able to say it at all.

"The state she’s in now... you could say she’s already been punished. Between yesterday and today, her mental state has become very unstable. She desperately needs a calm and stable environment. Could I ask you... could you please let her off for now and not..."

Wu Sheng couldn’t bear it any longer and cut him off, his voice utterly glacial.

"Disregarding the law, illegally imprisoning someone, and nearly killing Su Li, and now you think a simple apology will let her escape legal consequences? You’ve really got it all figured out, haven’t you."

Li Xian looked utterly mortified. "No, that’s not it. That’s not what I mean. It’s just that her condition is truly very bad, that’s why I..."

"Enough. Just go," Wu Sheng cut him off again, coldly pointing to the door. "If you only came here today to say this, then you can leave. It’s useless. You can talk until you’re blue in the face, and it won’t change a thing."

Li Xian’s face was a mask of anguish. "Wu Sheng... I know what I’m doing is wrong, but I... as her husband, I can’t just abandon her. It’s my responsibility that she became like this. I can’t just ignore her."

Ye Xilan was in the wrong, but he was the root of it all.

Years ago, if it weren’t for him, the child in Ye Xilan’s womb wouldn’t have been lost in that accident. If it weren’t for that accident, she wouldn’t have become the person she was today.

Locking up Wu Sheng back then, and now kidnapping Su Li—the root of it all was that child. She saw Wu Sheng as a substitute for that child, which was why she had become so paranoid and acted so radically.

Li Xian knew, of course, that Ye Xilan was at fault, but he couldn’t abandon her. Ye Xilan was his wife, after all. She had been with him for half his life; he couldn’t just leave her to her fate.

"Is this what you call ’taking care of her’? Taking all the blame on yourself and then making excuses for her? That’s some brilliant plan. So from now on, anyone who does something wrong can just apologize and walk away?"

"Just stab someone and say ’my bad’? Kill someone and say ’oops, sorry’? Do you think this is some children’s game, playing house and having a squabble? You think an adult can just make you apologize and hold hands and everything will be fine?"

"What Ye Xilan did was kidnapping and false imprisonment! It was attempted murder, don’t you get it? Su Li almost died, don’t you get it?"

Wu Sheng stepped forward as he spoke, his voice growing more and more agitated. By the last sentence, his tone was tinged with a choked sob and thick, palpable fear.

"Su Li, my wife, almost died. She really, truly could have died if we were just two or three hours later, do you have any idea?"

Wu Sheng’s terror, his fear, and this momentary display of vulnerability made tears stream down Su Li’s face.